TABLE VIII. Light Cruisers of Non-British Navies.
| A table should appear at this position in the text. See Help:Table for formatting instructions. |
Country
Date of Launch
Length Ft.
Breadth Ft.
Draught Ft.
Displace- ment Tons
Speed Knots
Horse- Power
Armament
Side Armour In.
UNITED STATES:
" Omaha " . . .10
1920
5555
55
Hi
7-500
33 1
90,000
12 6 in.
and
421 in. T. T.
bldg.
JAPAN:
" Yahagi "... 3
1911
475
465
I6J
4-950
26
22,500
86 in.
3
3 18 in. T .T.
" Tatsuta "... 2
1918
44
4i
13
3-500
31
51,000
45-5 in.
3
621 in. T. T.
" Tama " ... 20
1919
500
46?
15!
5,500
33
90,000
75-5 in.
3
8-21 in. T. T.
ITALY:
" Basilicata " . . . 2
1914
272
42
I6J
2-450
I6i
5,000
6 6 in.
2 T. T.
GERMANY:
\
"Stralsund" ....
1912
446
43 i
16
4,480
27
24,000
75-9 in-
217-7 in- T. T.
" Regensburg "...
1914
456
45
17
4,850
27*
26,000
75-9 in.
(now French " Strasbourg ")
2 19-7 in. T. T.
" Konigsberg "...
1915
45
43*
16
4,200
28i
45,000
75-9 in-
(now French " Metz ")
419-7 in. T. T.
" Frankfurt " .
1915
465
45i
17
5.120
28
45,000
85-9 in-
219-7 in. T. T.
" Brummer " .
1915
43
4'
I5i
4,000
30
46,000
45-9 in. 300
mines 4 19-7 T. T.
"Coin"
. 1918
489
47
I6J
5,600
27*
29,000
85-9 m.
423-6 in. T. T.
RUSSIA:
Admiral class ....
1915
535
51
18
7,600
30
55.000
155 in.
2 1 8 in. T. T-
did not construct 'any after the completion of the " Salem " class in
1908 until after the World War, when the construction of 10 light
cruisers of the " Omaha " class (fig. 42) was commenced. These
vessels were designed in 1916 and their construction authorized
by the Act of Congress o 1917. The chief characteristics of these
vessels, which are classed as " Scouts " by the U.S. navy, are an
over-all length of 555* ft., a displacement of 7,100 tons, S.H.P. of
turbine engines 90,000, giving an estimated speed of 35 knots. The
armament at first consisted of eight 6-in. guns arranged in double-
FIG. 42.
storied batteries of four guns each, forward and aft, but recently this armament has been augmented by the addition of a twin 6-in. gun turret on the centre line forward and aft. The torpedo arma- ment is to consist of two 21 -in. above- water torpedo tubes. Pro- tection, consisting of 3-in. total, is provided amidships to the machin- ery compartments. With the exception of some protection to the steering gear, the side protection does not appear to be so extensive as that provided for British light cruisers. Oil fuel only is burnt in the boilers of these vessels, the machinery arrangement of which is of considerable interest. The turbine engines drive four propellers, the engines for the outer shafts being accommodated in an engine- room situated between two groups of boiler-rooms, the engines for the inner shafts being in another engine-room abaft the second group of boilers. The turbines are geared, the reduction gears being of the Westinghouse floating-frame type. Cruising turbines are fitted to obtain economy at cruising speeds.
Japan. Three light cruisers were completed for Japan in 1912. These vessels, of about 5,000 tons displacement, 26 knots and carry- ing eight 6-in. guns, are very similar to their British contemporaries of the " Newcastle " class. No other light cruisers were built by Japan until the " Tatsuta " and " Tenryu " were laid down in 1917 and completed in 1919. These vessels are in general characteristics
similar to the British " Arethusa " class, with higher speed and reduced armament. On a displacement of 3,500 tons, a speed of 31 knots is obtained with 51,000 H.P. and four 5'5-in. guns are carried. Following these vessels were eight light cruisers of the " Tama " class, some of which have been launched. Twelve additional light cruisers of the 1920 programme will follow. It is understood that these 20 vessels are generally of the same class and are a consider- able improvement upon the " Tatsuta." On a displacement of 5,500 tons, seven 5'5-in. guns will be carried and engines of 90,000 H.P. will be fitted to give a designed speed of 36 knots.
Germany. The German naval programme provided for a small number of light cruisers to be built each year. The four vessels of the " Coin " class, completed in 1910 and 1911, were of 4,280 tons, 25J knots and carried 12 4-i-in. guns. They were an advance in size and speed on their predecessors. In 1912 and 1913 six vessels of slightly greater displacement and speed than the " Coin," but with the same armament, were completed. The next 14 vessels, completed 1914-5, were of 5,000 tons, 27 knots, 30,000 H.P., and had an im- proved armament of 2 S-g-in. and 10 4-i-in. guns. During the World War a number of light cruisers were built, the chief characteristics of which were their improved armaments, 6, 7, and 8 5-g-in. guns
Jinn
3-e-
FIG. 43.
being carried. Some of the earlier cruisers were rearmed with s-g-in, guns in lieu of 4-i-in. guns originally fitted. The "Brummer' and " Bremse," two of the surrendered vessels, were interesting ships. They were mine-laying cruisers of 4,000 tons, and, with tur- bine engines of 46,000 H.P., were generally credited with a speed of 34 knots, but this was at least 4 knots higher than the actual spc-rd. They were arranged to carry about 300 mines. One of the chief differences between British and German light cruisers lay in the
